Embalming and burial casket.



C. L; BARNES. EMBALMING AND BURIAL GASKET.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 25, 190B Patented 23, 1909.

ciiei. L. Ba anas. or onicaeo, ILLINQI E BALMING AND Burner. oasKE'r'.

F0 all whom it may concern: ,f

Be it known that I, CARL L. BARNES, a citizen of the United States," residing at (hicago, in -the county of (Yook and State of lllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Embalming and Burial Caskets, of which the following is a specification. w This invention relates to .a device for use as either an enibalming or a burial casket. The iirst object of the invention is to make an apparently heavy and massive casket which is really light yet strong and the second object is to provide either this or any sort of a casket withmeans for securing the lid thereon in such a way that the interior is absolutely air tight, so that gas or air can not pass either into or out of the casket, this particularly so that gases produced either by decomposition of the body therein or those arising from chemicals placed therein for embahning purposes can not escape and are therefore forced to do their intended work within the casket.

Referring to the first object the invention consists in making the body of the casket of two sheets of material spaced apart by some other ordinarily lighter material such as wood, cork, asbestos or cement.

In carrying out the second object of the invention the device consists in providing a liquid seal between the cover and the casket proper so'constructed that independently of all other devices the casket is air tight and in supplementing this liquid seal with two or more gaskets or seals of cushion material such as rubber so that a triple seal is formed between the cover and casket proper thereby insuring a perfect sealing of the device.

The invention also consists in details of construction which will be hereafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the casket with the cover partly removed having the device of this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional detail view on theline 2- of Fig. 1.

The body of the casket is constructed oi two approximately parallel sheets 5-and 6 ol metal spaced apart throughout substantially their entire distanceby the iiller 7 which as heretofore stated may be of wood, asbestos, cork, cement or any other suitable material.

The metals used may be iron, steel, copper,

galvanized iron, aluminumor any other metal or metals, one inside the other outside,

UNITED v STATES PATENT onn on ,5

suitable -l'or the purpose. L

stamped from a single sheetol material-ar d are joined together at the edges of thedianges 8 by rivets 9 for which soldermayevidently be substituted "without ;departing from. the invention. Similarly the cover made These two sheets A of n1etal5 and 6 arepreierably pressed ,pr.

two sheets of metal 11 and 12joined together at the outer edges olthe. flanges '14-. byathe" rivets 15 or other suitable mechanisnusaid two sheets of metal 11, and 12 gbei'ng spaced apart by the filler 16 preferably ,9 ght material ol' the character specified for the filler 7..

In the flanges 8 of the casket, proper is formed an annular depressionor trough 20 extending preferably. entirely around the body of the casket as shown. This recess or trough 20 is normally filled with water, mercury or any other suitable liquid 21 to a suflicient depthv so that a downwardly projecting annular flange 23 which is, as shown, formed upon the underside of the flange 14 of the cm'erand always enters the trough 20 when the cover is. in closed position upon the casket is immersed in said liquid 21 to the height shown in the drawing being in an actual casket about one to three inches.

Adjacent to the upper edges of the trough I 2-0 are annular rubber gaskets 25 and 26 extending around the flange 8 as shown upon which the flange 14 of the cover is adapted to rest. While the weight of the cover should be suflicient to hold it upon these gaskets and to hold the downwardly projecting flange 23 in the trough 20 still to make doubly sure of l the perfect seal being always maintained in spite of the pressure of any gases which may be in the casket suitable bolts 2% or equivalent devices are provided for fastening the f= outer edges otthe flanges S and 14 together. 4

1n the operation of this device the intended contents are placed within the casket, the cover is then placed in the position shown in Fig. 2 in-which position the downwardlydisposed flange 23 is submerged in the liquid 21 and the cover is in contact with the gaskets 25 and 26 after which the bolts are placed in position. hen this closing of the device 18 completed any gases formed within the casket must first lift the cover, against the resistance of the bolts 28, oil' from the gaskets 25 and 2b before v any gas caneven partially escape from the casket,' in the absence of an other device by which such escape is stil further prevented. But even if the pressure of gas does lift the cover slightly off the gaskets the presence of the li uid 21 effectually prevents escape. It wil thus be seen that by this device three effective seals are provided all of which must have passed by gas within the casket before it can escape,

' which passage is practically impossible under useful purpose of retaining the sealing liquid within the depression 20, so that it cannot run out of. said depression or trough, should the casket be turned on one side or even upside down.

The claims are:

1'. A device of the class described, comprising two parts to be joined together, a

trough in one of said parts, a flange carried by the other part entering said trough, and

gaskets between the two parts on opposite sides of said trough, adapted to revent the escape of a liquid which may be p aced in the trough "and in which said flange is immersed when the parts are joined.

2. A device of the class described comprising a recessed body portion and a cover portion to be joined thereto, a trough in one of said members extending entirely around the space adjacent to the recess in the body ortion, a flange carried by the other meni- Eer entering said trough, and gaskets between the two members on opposite edges of said trough adapted to prevent the escape of a liquid placed in the trough and in which said flange is immersed when the two parts are brought together for the purpose of closing the device.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL L. BARNES. Witnesses:

JOHN C. EDWARD, DWIGHT B. CHEEVER. 

